Displays with Adjustable Haze and Tint Layers

Abstract

A pair of glasses or other eyewear may include a display that produces display content and an optical system through which the display content is viewable from an eye box. The optical system may include an optical combiner that combines real-world light with the display content. The glasses may be operable in a transparent mode for viewing the environment and a dark mode for viewing display content on the glasses. The optical system may include a light modulator layer such an adjustable tint and haze layer that both darkens and diffuses ambient light when the glasses are being used to view display content in the dark mode. The optical system may be configured to darken ambient light more than display light from external displays so that the user can use electronic devices while wearing the glasses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Eyewear, comprising:
 a display configured to produce display content; and   an optical system through which the display content is viewable from an eye box, wherein the optical system comprises:
 an optical combiner; 
 an adjustable tint layer; and 
 an adjustable haze layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable haze layer is interposed between the optical combiner and the adjustable tint layer. 
     
     
         3 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable haze layer comprises a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer. 
     
     
         4 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable tint layer is selected from the group consisting of: a twisted-nematic liquid crystal layer and an electrochromic layer. 
     
     
         5 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable tint layer and the adjustable haze layer are independently adjustable. 
     
     
         6 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  further comprising a quarter wave plate interposed between the adjustable haze layer and the optical combiner. 
     
     
         7 . The eyewear defined in  claim 6  further comprising an additional quarter wave plate, wherein the adjustable tint layer and the adjustable haze layer are interposed between the quarter wave plate and the additional quarter wave plate. 
     
     
         8 . The eyewear defined in  claim 7  further comprising a linear polarizer interposed between the quarter wave plate and the adjustable haze layer. 
     
     
         9 . The eyewear defined in  claim 8  further comprising a light filter on an outer surface of the optical system, wherein the light filter has passbands that correspond to the emission spectrum of an external display. 
     
     
         10 . The eyewear defined in  claim 1  wherein the optical combiner comprises a polarizing beam splitter, a quarter wave plate, and a half mirror. 
     
     
         11 . A pair of glasses, comprising:
 a display configured to produce display content; and   an optical system through which ambient light and the display content are viewable from an eye box, wherein the optical system comprises:
 an optical combiner; and 
 an adjustable light modulator layer configured to diffuse and darken the ambient light when the display is presenting the display content. 
   
     
     
         12 . The pair of glasses defined in  claim 11  wherein the adjustable light modulator layer comprises a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer. 
     
     
         13 . The pair of glasses defined in  claim 12  wherein the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer comprises black dye. 
     
     
         14 . The pair of glasses defined in  claim 13  further comprising a quarter wave plate interposed between the optical combiner and the adjustable light modulator layer. 
     
     
         15 . The pair of glasses defined in  claim 13  further comprising an additional quarter wave plate, wherein the adjustable light modulator layer is interposed between the quarter wave plate and the additional quarter wave plate. 
     
     
         16 . A head-mounted device configured to be controlled by an electronic device having a display that emits display light, the head-mounted device comprising:
 a display module configured to produce display content; and   an optical system through which ambient light, the display light, and the display content are viewable from an eye box, wherein the optical system comprises:
 an optical combiner; and 
 an adjustable light modulator layer configured to diffuse and darken the ambient light when the display is presenting the display content, wherein the display light is darkened less than the ambient light. 
   
     
     
         17 . The head-mounted device defined in  claim 16  wherein the adjustable light modulator layer comprises a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer with added dye. 
     
     
         18 . The head-mounted device defined in  claim 16  wherein the adjustable light modulator layer comprises:
 a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer configured to diffuse the ambient light; and 
 a twisted-nematic liquid crystal layer configured to darken the ambient light. 
 
     
     
         19 . The head-mounted device defined in  claim 16  wherein the adjustable light modulator layer is interposed between first and second quarter wave plates. 
     
     
         20 . The head-mounted device defined in  claim 16  wherein the optical system comprises a light filter having passbands corresponding to an emission spectrum of the display.